Nights spent by foreign tourists in Finland up by 11.3 per cent
in September 2017

Nights spent by foreign tourists at Finnish
accommodation establishments continued growing, by 11.3 per cent
from last year and good 471,000 nights were recorded for them in
September 2017. The number of nights spent by resident tourists
went up by 1.7 per cent and totalled good 1.2 million at
accommodation establishments. A total of 1.7 million overnight
stays were recorded at Finnish accommodation establishments in
September 2017, which was 4.2 per cent more than one year earlier.
These figures are preliminary data from Statistics Finland’s
statistics on accommodation establishments and they have been
collected from accommodation establishments with at least 20 beds
or caravan pitches with electricity connection.

Change in overnight stays in September 2017/2016,
%

Strong growth in overnight stays continued in September for
visitors from China, the United States and Great Britain

Nearly 30,000 overnight stays were recorded for Chinese visitors
at Finnish accommodation establishments, which was 25.3 per cent
more than in September 2016. The number of recorded nights spent by
them was highest in Uusimaa, around 24,000. Overnight stays by
visitors from the USA increased by one-fifth and accommodation
establishments recorded good 27,000 nights spent for them in
September 2017. Overnight stays by tourists from the USA also took
place mainly in Uusimaa, where 21,500 overnight stays were recorded
for them. Overnight stays by British tourists increased by 22.7 per
cent and accommodation establishments recorded good 25,000 of them.
The share of Uusimaa in all nights spent by British visitors was
over 70 per cent. The share of Uusimaa in all nights spent by
foreign visitors in September rose close to 58 per cent.

Sweden, Russia and Germany the biggest countries of inbound
tourism in September

The top three continued strong in September; only the order
changed. Swedish tourists were the largest group of foreign
visitors with close on 50,000 nights spent. Their overnight stays
increased by 5.5 per cent from the year before. Russians came
second and 43,000 overnight stays were recorded for them at Finnish
accommodation establishments, which was 9.0 per cent more than one
year before. Germans came third with close on 41,000 overnight
stays. Overnight stays by German visitors grew most in September,
by as much as 26.9 per cent. Chinese visitors were fourth and
Japanese tourists fifth, for whom over 28,000 overnight stays were
recorded. The number was 8.2 per cent higher than one year
previously.

Nights spent by visitors from almost all the most important
countries of inbound tourism to Finland increased in September. In
addition to those already mentioned above, the number of nights
spent by Spanish tourists increased by 18.3 per cent and nights
spent by French visitors by 15.5 per cent from September 2016. Only
overnight stays by Norwegian visitors declined by 2.7 per cent in
September 2017 and those by Estonian tourists remained on the same
level as in September 2016.

Examined by region, overnight stays increased in September most
in Kymenlaakso, 18.1 per cent, and in Uusimaa, 14.9 per cent. The
growth in overnight stays in Satakunta and Varsinais-Suomi was
around 14 per cent in both. By contrast, the total number of
overnight stays decreased in Central Ostrobothnia, by 12.1 per
cent, and in Etelä-Savo, by 11.7 per cent. In the whole country,
overnight stays increased by 4.2 per cent from September 2016.

Change in overnight stays in September by region
2017/2016, %

Hotel stays increased by 4.8 per cent in September
year-on-year

In September 2017, the total number of nights spent in hotels
was 1.4 million, which was 4.8 per cent more than twelve months
earlier. Overnight stays by foreign tourists increased by 14.0 per
cent and hotels recorded a total of nearly 406,000 of them.
Overnight stays at accommodation establishments recorded for
resident tourists totalled around one million, which was 1.4 per
cent more than one year before.

The occupancy rate of hotel rooms was 59.4 per cent in
September. One year earlier, it was 57.8 per cent. Among the
regions, the highest occupancy rates of hotel rooms were measured
in Uusimaa, 77.6 per cent, and Varsinais-Suomi, 65.9 per cent. In
Vantaa, the hotel room occupancy rate was 82.0 per cent and in
Turku 70.1 per cent. The hotel room occupancy rate in Helsinki was
83.0 per cent.

In September 2017, the realised average price of a hotel room
was EUR 100.73 per day for the whole country. Twelve months
previously, it was EUR 97.96.

Hotel room occupancy rate and the monthly average
price

Total number of nights spent at all accommodation
establishments grew by 5.1 per cent in January to September
2017

In January to September 2017, the number of nights spent at
accommodation establishments in Finland totalled nearly 17 million.
This was 5.1 per cent higher than in the corresponding period one
year earlier. In total, 11.8 million overnight stays were recorded
for resident tourists and around five million overnight stays for
non-resident tourists. The overnight stays of resident visitors
increased by 1.4 per cent and those of non-resident visitors by
14.8 per cent from the previous year's January to September.

The number of nights spent by Russian visitors at accommodation
establishments in Finland totalled nearly 631,000 in January to
September 2017, which was 16.8 per cent up on the respective period
of 2016. They were the biggest country of inbound tourism to
Finland. Germans came second with 520,000 overnight stays. The
figure went up by 14.7 per cent from January to September 2016.
Swedes were in third position with 495,000 overnight stays. Their
overnight stays increased by 7.4 per cent. British visitors came
next with close on 340,000 overnight stays. The increase from the
corresponding period last year was 23.9 per cent. Overnight stays
by Dutch and Spanish visitors also grew strongly in January to
September. Overnight stays by Dutch tourists increased by 29.0 per
cent and accommodation establishments recorded 187,000 of them.
Overnight stays recorded for Spanish visitors numbered 108,000,
which was 17.5 per cent more than in January to September 2016.

Nights spent at Finnish accommodation establishments by visitors
from all the most important countries of inbound tourism to Finland
increased in January to September 2017. Of these, overnight stays
by Chinese visitors grew most and rose to 249,000 nights, which was
36.9 per cent more than in the corresponding period in 2016. In
addition to Chinese visitors, over 200,000 overnight stays were
recorded for tourists from France and the USA, which was 14 to 16
per cent more that in January to September 2016.